Garment hanger and protector.



P. W. MERRILL, GARMENT HANGER AND PROTECTOR. APPLIUATION FILED H1124.1908.

91 6,571 Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES APPLICATION FILED FEB; 24. 1908.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VEN TOR.

E. S w H W d FRED W. MERRILL, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

GARMENT HANGER AND PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 30, 1909.

Application filed February 24, 1908. Serial No. 417,285.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED TV. MERRILL, of Somerville, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Garment Hangers andProtectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the manufacture of a garment hangercomposed of several units each capable of receiving one or more garmentsand each adapted to be united With a group and each easily removablefrom'the group of units. This group of units, moreover, is so combinedand mounted that it may be attached to any flat surface, wall, trunkcover, etc. in a manner which permits an orderly hanging or packing ofgarments any one of which may be conveniently removed without thedisarrangement of the rest.

My invention will be readily understood byreference to the drawings, inwhich- Figures 1 and 2 are portions of side and front views respectivelyof a garment hanger attached to a frame to be supported on a Wall orother perpendicular surface. Fig. 3 is a portion of a top view of thegarment hanger and shows the relative position of drapery support,hinged guard and straps which support frames. Fig. 1 is a side viewshowing appearance of garment hanger connected to box cover. Fig. 5 is afront view of box cover showing garment hanger connected to the same,also partially illustrating the manner of holding form to frame. Fig. 6is a front View of the frame and form partially showing the manner ofdetaching theform from the frame. Fig. 7 is a side view of box closedshowing the position of garment hanger attached to the same. Fig. 8 is atop sectional view in part of the end of box, showing manner ofsupporting rack when folded in the same. Fig. 9 shows several frames towhich forms may be attached and the manner of folding and securing thesame for use in dress suit case or specially made case. Fig. 10 is aside view of the same closed in case. Fig. 11 is an end view of rack andshows the manner of securing the same to spring support. Fig. 12 shows aseries of forms supported by racks designed to be used without frame,the same opening and closing in same manner as those supported byframes. Fig. 13 shows a device to be attached to form when the same isused for mens clothing, and serves to hold the bottom of trousers inposition, also to form crease in same. Fig. 14 is an end view of thesame showing manner of attaching to form. Fig. 15 shows a form for mensclothes and illustrates the manner of holding the same. Fig. 16 showsthe manner of securing a pair of trousers to form. Fig. 17 shows severalform-supporting frames and the manner of using them in transportinggarments.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings: The particular mode ofconstruction most plainly appears in Figs. 1. and 2 where (Z, representframe supports preferably of wood. These supports are connected by rods7). Fastcued to the support a is a curved bracket part (Z preferablymade of a bent metal rod on which are supported wood or metal supportingbars 0 which carry the hanger frames 0. Above these hanger frames is arod f mounted in the support a and adapted to carry a dustprotectingdrapery when my device is used upon a wall. The hanger frames 0 may beswung to and from the rods Z) and when swung together they may beretained in place by the holder which is loosely mounted in the socketsformed by bending the rods Z). The supporting strips 0 of the hangerframes ,0 are fastened to a strip of canvas or other flexible material72 This construction allows the supporting bars to assume a positionabout the curved top of the part (.7 as shown in Fig. 1, whereby, whenthe holder g is removed, the hanger frames may separate radially topermit the easy removal of garments hung thereon. The hanger which isinserted in the ment is represented by i best seen in Fig. 2. Thishanger suitably shaped to receive the garment to be hung thereon iseasily removable from its frame 6 by the following means: In eachsupporting bar 0 are two hooked pins j adapted to engage correspondingloops 71'? in the bottom part of the hanger i while the top part of thehanger frame 0 is bent into a hook Z adapted to engage and hold the topof the hanger i which being made of a heavy yet flexible wire may beeasily sprung into secure engagement with these hooks j and Z. This ismore easily effected by the spring turns m in the upper corners of thehanger frames 6 which permit the top of the frames to bend downward.

Fig. 4: which shows my device adapted to the cover of a box or trunk,shows also a strip (Z secured to the end of the box or trunk andaffording a bearing for the supporting bars a when the cover is closedso that these supporting bars Q on their flexible canvas backing h hangdown perpendicularly when the box or trunk lies flat on its base andrequire support in case the box or trunk is set on its hinged end.

In Fig. 9 I have shown my invention adapted to a suit case by attachingto the end of frame f the series of supporting bars a mounted uponsprings 00 one end of each of which is fastened about the frame f 9 gare holders meant to clamp about the tophanger frame a.

In Fig. 12 appears a modified form of my invention, the hanger i beingattached directly to the supporting bars 0 and the series of hangersbeing joined together at their top by the clasp or holder 9 Fig. 16shows one of the hanger units in what may be considered its fullycompleted form, fitted with parts adapted to carry trousers which arefolded over the rod 71 in the upper part of the hanger, the bottom partof which is provided with bent wires having ends 29, p adapted to beinserted in the bottom of the trouser legs along the creases and holdthe trousers in position. These wires are bent in spring form at s, s inorder that while their normal position will be that shown at p, 39,their ends may be compressed into the position shown at 72 p in order topermit their insertion into the trouser legs. The tension of the springswill then bring the ends of the wires firmly into contact with thetrousers. This holder for the bottom of the trousers is attached to thebottom of the hanger frame 2' by the hand 1.

The series of views in Fig. 17 shows a possible arrangement of unitaryhangers set in frames made of wooden bars 0 and rods 6 These frames areadapted to be stacked by inserting pins m in holes m Having thus fullydescribed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States 1. In a garment hanging and packing device, aplurality of hangers, supports for said hangers, a hinged connectionclosely binding said supports whereby said hangers may be folded intoclose proximity or opened radially.

2. In a garment hanging and packing de vice, a plurality of hangers eachadapted to be inserted in a garment, frames surrounding said hangers tosupport said hangers at opposite ends thereof, and means whereby saidhangers may be removed from said frames.

3. In a garment hanging and packing device, a plurality of hangers,frames to support said hangers, means whereby said hangers may beremoved from said frames, and a hinged connection between the ends ofsaid frames whereby said frames may be folded into contact each with theother or opened radially.

at. In a garment hanging and packing device, a plurality of unitedhangers, frames to support said hangers, means whereby said hangers maybe removably supported in said frames consisting of hooks on saidframes, and means on said hangers adapted to engage said hooks or to bedisengaged therefrom upon the bending of said hangers.

5. In a garment hanging and packing device, a frame, a hanger and meanswhereby said hanger may be removably supported at opposite ends of saidframe.

6. In a garment hanging and packing device, a frame, a flexible hanger,means for supporting said hanger within said frame in a manner wherebysaid hanger may be removed from its supports by bending said hanger.

7. In a garment hanging and packing device, a frame, a flexible hanger,means comprising hooks for supporting said hanger within said frame in amanner whereby said hanger may be removed from said hooks by bendingsaid hanger.

S. In a garment hanging and packing device, a frame having a metal rodmember, springs formed by bends in said rod atthe top thereof whereby itmay be flexible at its upper part, a hanger and means adapted to supportsaid hanger in said frame, and means whereby it may be removed therefromby the bending of the upper portion of said frame.

9. In a garment hanging and packing device, a plurality of hangers, asupport for said series of hangers consisting of an upright part and abracket attached to said upright part, a curved or inclined top to saidbracket, bars on which said hangers are mounted, a flexible connectionalong the bottom of said bars whereby said bars may be permitted toassume a position conforming to the curved or inclined top of saidbracket and effect a radial disposition of the hangers, substantially asdescribed.

10. In a garment hanging or packing device, the combination of a hangeradapted to receive a coat with a rod across the upper part of saidhanger adapted to receive a pair of trousers to be folded across saidrod, and means at the bottom part of said hanger for securely holdingthe legs of trousers to be folded across said rod, said means comprisingWires attached to the bottom part of trouser legs may be held securely,substansaid hangeqdupwalrdlybextending ends (in tially as described.

said wires 21 a tec to e inserted into t e legs of trousei l to be heldthereby, and FRED MERRILL 5 means whereby said ends of the Wires mayWitnesses:

tend to spring apart, when inserted in said ALICE MAUI) MERRILL,

trouser legs, in a manner whereby said FRANKLIN F. PHILLIPS, Jr.

